Using a SSD to run the OS, Programs/Apps, CS6 and Games, while storing files on a HDD. Is this a good plan?

[Adrenaline Rush]

If I have a SSD with my OS, Software Programs, CS6, Office and games on, basically all executables, and store my Photoshop files on a HDD. If I call a big picture say I don't know it's a gig due to working on it a lot, and I store it on a HDD and then open it in Photoshop, will adobe Photoshop load fast but then be really really slow at opening the Photoshop file. My plan would be to save everything on HDD and just use the SSD to run exceptionable files for fast performance. I just wonder if it would still be as fast if calling big files from a HDD or should I just aim to get a bigger SSD? It's just more expensive, and I would prefer two drive.

Basically is it a good idea to store all files on a HDD, should I keep all files I am working on, on the SSD, then move them to the HDD on completion to keep top speeds or will it perform just as fast if I save to the HDD rather than the SSD?

Also is 8GB KINGSTON Hyper X GENESIS 1600mhz SODIMM DDR3 (2x 4GB) RAM, good enough if I aim to use games development software in the future, like say Unreal Dev Kit. Unreal Engine 4.

Or if I aim to do that in the future should I buy an extra 8GB of ram at that point in time.

This would be on a laptop as I don't drive and want to be able to visit people more.

Cheers for any help.

 

[USAFRet]

That is a perfectly valid plan, and pretty much the way my system is set up.

The only difference is I don't have games on the main SSD. Take up too much space.

 

[i7Baby]

If you're really into photo editing, a lot of people who are the same also use an SSD as a 'scratch disk'. This is whgere they initially copy from the HDD but every time they save then reload the edited photo it's to and from the SSD. When they've finished they put it back on a HDD.

But if you can't afford numerous SSDs then use a HDD. You might also have to set up a data structure for finding files. Google 'Moving Users'.

 

[mickypheonix]

hi adrenaline rush ,
os on the ssd is a good idea
i would only install programs on the ssd that you want speed to execute the rest and games i would put on the hdd , games on ssd will not increase fps ( frames per second ) only loading and saving times and take up too much valuable space
cs6 will be faster on ssd but it is not advised to have program and scratch disk on the same volume , i would make the hdd the scratch disk or replace the hdd in the laptop with another ssd for your scratch disk and use an external drive for your games & programs ,
8gb of ram will be enough for what you are doing adding extra is wont really achieve a great deal for cs6 , you should perhaps aim for a better GPU

 

[Adrenaline Rush]

So I need three drives to set up scratch disk. I have a external drive I was going to use as a back up drive. And so the HDD would liturally just be for storage?

But you don't think it's a good idea to have the boot drive as the scratch drive?

I just realised I didn't say what ssd. I would get a Samsung 840 evo 250gb. Should I get two 120GB Intel 530 series SSD and use the second drive as scratch/storage drive and get another external HDD for storage?

Or

120gb Intel 525 series Msata, and use that as boot/excutables, plus an 120gb Intel 530 series as scratch disk, and a 750gb hdd for storage.

 

[mickypheonix]

keep your os on the 840 evo , keep your external unless you are running out of room , just get a 60gb ssd for scratch disk is way more than enough

 

[Adrenaline Rush]

Oh right so 250gb evo, 750gb hdd, 60gb kingston msata for scratch?

 

[mickypheonix]

sounds like a good plan

 

[Adrenaline Rush]

Why would it not be a good idea to install games on the evo ssd?

 

[USAFRet]

Why would it not be a good idea to install games on the evo ssd?

Not that it's a bad idea, it's mostly not needed. Framerate isn't increased any. About the only thing is level loading. And games can get pretty big.

 

[mickypheonix]

usafret is correct frame rate will not increase only a better cpu and or gpu will achieve this ,as i said only loading times will be faster , it would be a waste of your ssd space

 

[Adrenaline Rush]

So it's not going to slow the booting if I install games on the SSD? I read somewhere the more a SSD gets full or used it slows down. But I am getting more impatience with age. Ha. Not getting younger things need to be fast, ha. By that I mean I don't want to be waiting for things to load. So would putting games on a ssd slow down the whole system and just make the game faster or would it not affect the whole system if I installed games on the ssd, but is a bit of a waste of space since games will not load much faster anyway.

 

[USAFRet]

It won't slow the boot process.
For an SSD, leave around 20% free. For your250GB, don't let it go over 200GB or so. As some games are 30-40GB (or higher), that adds up quickly.

 

[mickypheonix]

this is not a problem installing games on ssd if you can afford to have them take up the space of your ssd , this will not impact on the performance of your system we are merely trying to advise you as usafret said games will take a large chunk of your ssd , but if that is what you want to do , go for it
just be aware with modern games you can fill your ssd really quickly

 

[Adrenaline Rush]

That is a good point. Thanks for your help. Can I choose two solutions?

 

[mickypheonix]

you can do as you wish , we are here to help and advise

 

[Adrenaline Rush]

I mean it says pick a solution. If I pick one can I pick another after?

 

[USAFRet]

I mean it says pick a solution. If I pick one can I pick another after?

You can only pick one.

 

[mickypheonix]

do as you wish m8 , i wish you all the best and hope it goes well for you

 

[Adrenaline Rush]

Thanks Micky Pheonix. Thanks everyone for your help. I will recommend this forum to people I know. I use to be very up with things, but its been a while, but people sometimes ask me for computer advice I will tell them to check your forum out.

 

[mickypheonix]

you're welcome m8 , hope it all goes well for you